1995 Andrew Will Merlot, Washington State: Deep garnet in color, very youthful in appearance (would never guess this to be a 20-year old wine), clear and clean after decanting; the bouquet is a blend of ripe plum, currant, cola, sweet cream, light cocoa and spice; all this is echoed on the velvety palate, with good fruit, soft tannins, and a slight drying note in the lingering finish. Delicious with lamp crépinettes, roasted vegetables and a salad . . .

1999 Domaine de la Mordorée Lirac rouge, “Cuvée de la Reine des Bois,” (Rhône, France): Garnet-hued with slight bricking at the rim, clean and clear after decanting); the bouquet is classic Southern Rhône, with strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, lavender, light “sous bois” notes and more; on the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, silky and supple, very flavorful, and with a long, lingering finish. Beautiful with an array of soft-ripened cheeses, duck pâté with cherries and pistachios, Jamon Iberico, and more . . .

Ah, I had to do some research. Long gone, it was called Made in France, a warehouse San Francisco and then in Brisbane. My source tells me they morphed into The Gourmet Corner, a retail shop in San Mateo and online at http://www.thegourmetcorner.com/ . They don’t list that Lirac now, though, but there are other Rhones in the $15 dollar range. I think I paid $10 for the Lirac you pictured.

The annual warehouse sales were a hoot, with lots of free samples (sausage, cheese) and language code-switching. Once, in line, after speaking to all the other customers in English, the clerk somehow decided that I spoke French and told me in that stern French way, “Vous payez a la caisse et vous returnez” (they followed the French practice of having the clerk ring you up and give you a receipt which you took over to the actual cashier who rang you up and took your money). It might have been the black beret I used to wear all the time.